Windies desperate to level series today at Providence

Jul 13, 2022 Sports

– Need top order to step up

By Sean Devers

Nicholas Pooran will hope he and his team step up with the bat. (AFP via Getty Images)

Kaieteur News- After losing both the Test and T20I series 2-nil, Bangladesh started the three-match ODI series with a comfortable six-wicket victory in a truncated game to register their first win on their tour to West Indies.

The ODI win, extended their winning streak to six against West Indies and a win today will give their fourth consecutive series win against the host, who have not won an ODI series against Bangladesh since 2014.

Although ODI is the ‘Tigers’ best format, their lack of free scoring against the spinners on Sunday and unavalibity of two of their star players; Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, put them under some pressure. West Indies will know that once their top-order clicks and the pitch today is similar to the one used on Sunday, they could level the series.

The return of skipper Tamim Iqbal, who scored 130 the last time Bangladesh were in Guyana in 2018, has given the tourist new life but they will know that the ‘big hitting’ West Indians, will be gunning for an epic brawl.

West Indies, though, will be aware of their short comings with the bat on Sunday when they failed to score off a whopping 89 deliveries in the first 20 overs in a contest reduced to 41 overs.

Being forced to step on the gas, West Indies slumped to 110-9 before Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, aided by sloppy catching, put together 39 in an unfinished last wicket stand which turned out to be the biggest of the innings.

The lack of the ‘Killer Instinct’ should be a worry for Bangladesh against a team which most times favours clobbering fours and sixes rather than picking-up singles to rotate the strike.

The top order, including last Thursday’s T2O heroes Skipper Nicolas Pooran and Kyle Mayers, will needed to run more singles, which will complement their boundary hitting.

Shai Hope is too good not to make his presence felt in this series and would be heavily depended on to give his side a solid foundation while Shamarh Brooks will want to go on to get a big score when well set.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, West Indies’ best white ball spinner, should once again open the bowling, while Searles, Phillip and Romario Shepherd needs to be more penetrative.

Debut Gudakesh Motie, bowled a miserly spell on home soil and took advantage of the ultra-careful batting against the spinners with even Pooran being able to trouble the batters with his part-time off-breaks, some of which turned a long way.

Tamim started with an explosive 33 with four fours and a six before he ran himself out when well set while Najmul Hossain Shanto hit five boundaries in his 37 as Bangladesh chased a fair small total in the first ODI.

Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 41 and Nurul Hasan’s 20 helped Bangladesh to their 19th win against West Indies in 42 matches and third in four ODIs at Providence.

However, Mahmudullah, who was bowled by a Pooran no-ball on Sunday, looked far from his best on a pitch which offered turn for the spinners

Shoriful Islam captured a career-best 4-34 after Mustafizur Rahman’s early dismissal of Hope, West Indies’ best ODI batter presently give the visitors the early ascendency.

Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nasum Ahmed, on debut, produced frugal spells on Sunday and will hope reproduce those performances today.

After a sunny day yesterday, rain is forecast for today and could affect the much anticipated contest which is scheduled to commence at 9:30hrs.